Treatment of staple fiber



Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES @FFICE TREATMENT olq STAPLE man Fritz Schneider, Hans i lllltgelt, and Wilhelm Neugebauer, Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Germany, assignors to Kalle & Co. Akticngcsellschaft,

Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Germany No Drawing. Application December 17, 1937. se-

rial No. 180,328. In Germany December 23, 1

5 Claims.

This invention relates to staple fiber (cellulose wool, in German=Zellwolle) which consists of regenerated ce1lulose,'or materials consisting of or containing such staple fiber for example yarns or 5 fabrics. Primarily it relates to viscose staple fiber.

An object of the present invention is a new process for treating staple fiber which process improves the staple fiber. The new process is apl0 plicable not only to the treatment of materials made of staple fiber alone, but also to any spun or woven goods containing staple fiber, particularly to mixed fabrics which contain wool or cotton in addition to staple fiber. Another object of the invention are staple fiber materials improved by the new process.

The new process consists in causing to act on the staple fiber material a solution of an enzyme preparation such as is obtained with the aidof a bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bacillus subtz'lis and Bacillus mesentericus, the solution being substantially free from the said bacteria. described, for example in German specification 320,571. The preferable procedure is to treat the fabric with an enzyme solution as hot as possible, for example at -80" C. The solution may contain suitable additions, for instance activators, buffer substances or the like.

The improvement produced by the process shows itself in the first place in an improvement in the capacity of the staple fiber or the material containing it for beingdyed. Without the pre-' treatment aiforded by this invention it is generally difiicult to dye staple fiber throughout in a manner free from objection and uniform with, for example, substantive dyestufls, indanthrene dyestuffs and other vat dyestuffs. When the process of the invention is applied, there are obtained uniform pure tints.

process in general brightens the goods and improves greatly the feel of the staple fiber so that the goods acquire a full soft feel.

The staple fiber may be treated with the enin the form of banks or in the form of finished fabric. At the same time, the material may be The production of such products is' In addition, the new zymes at any stage of its working up, for example The following example illustrates the invention:

A fabric consisting solely of staple fiber is treated at C. with a neutral liquor containing per litre 5-10 grammes of a commercial bacterial g enzyme preparation obtained with the aid of Bacillus mesenterz'cus, forinstance, the so-called Biolase. The treatment may advantageously be on the Foulard apparatus. After some minutes the impregnated goods are rolled up and laid. aside. In this condition they remain for some hours, preferably over night, and are finally rinsed hot (about 0.). The goods thus treated have a full soft feel and can be dyed especially well with dyestufis coming into question for such material, for example substantive dyestufls. When a material which has-been sized with starch is treated in the manner described, the size is simultaneously removed.

We claim:

1. The process which consists in treating staple fiber material made of regenerated cellulose with a solution of an enzyme preparation obtainedwith the aid of a bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus mesenterzcus, the solution being substantially free from 25 the said bacteria.

2. The process which consists in treating staple fiber material made of regenerated cellulose with a solution of an enzyme preparation obtained with the aid of a bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus mesentericus ata temperature of at least 70 C., the solution being substantially free from the said bacteria.

3. The process which consists in treating staple fiber material made of regenerated cellulose with a solution of an enzyme preparation obtained with the aid of a bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus mesentericus at 70 to 80 C., the solution being substantially free from the said bacteria.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the said staple fiber material is a fabric containing staple fiber.

5. An improved staple fiber material made from regenerated cellulose which has been treated with the solution of an enzyme preparation obtained with the aid of a bacterium selected from the group consisting of Bacillus subtills and Bacillus mesenterleus, thesolution being substantially free i from the said bacteria and which has an improved aflinity to dyestuils and a full and soft feel.

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